Redemption
by BandGurl23
Summary: The team failed to stop Hendricks in Mumbai. Nuclear war erupted throughout the majority of the globe. The world fell into disarray. Can there be hope if this torn-apart team can band back together again to save us all?
1. Chapter 1

Newest story! Credit for the idea goes to PeggsterLover for her lovely photo that she made of an AU!Apocolyptic Universe for MI4 and help with the beginning. Enjoy this first chapter of "Redemption"!

Summary: _The team failed to stop Hendricks in Mumbai. Nuclear war erupted throughout the majority of the globe. The world fell into disarray. Can there be hope if this torn-apart team can band back together again to save us all?_

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><p>It had been about five months since Hendricks succeeded in starting a nuclear war; five months since the quartet had split up and fled to separate countries from failure; five months since Ethan had ordered them to not make contact with one another until otherwise told to. Now the world was in tatters.<p>

From in Germany's broken and rundown remains, Ethan listened to the news on his makeshift radio of scrap metal and parts as he scavenged around the dinky hotel kitchen for something to eat. Something edible rather than the unidentifiable substances hiding in every nook and cranny of the kitchen. He scratched at his unshaven chin while he searched, listening intently to his broadcast at the same time. From the fuzzy static, he could pick out the weak German transmitting from its half destroyed station. It spoke of how Hendricks had taken pretty much the majority of the world by force and how he was now gathering up previous agents and soldiers alike for his massive army. Australia, South America, and parts of Africa were still out of his control and he wanted to seize control of them himself.

The next statement cast concrete on Ethan. Hendricks was calling out Ethan and his "crew", as he called them, to come out into the open and surrender themselves. He wanted nothing else to stand in his way while he prepared to "fix the world that they destroyed." The branding of "terrorists" was now slammed onto their very being. They were outcasts. But then again, so was the rest of the world.

It wasn't right. In a spontaneous moment of new light, Ethan made a decision that was going to change everything.

Time to make a stand.

-_l_-

A tan, thin figure sat in a thatched roof home, listening to the radio intently. Her deep brown pools glimmered with concern as Hendricks spoke.

"Janie! Janie!" A young Brazilian girl, maybe six-years-old or so, ran into her abode and hugged her arm. Her long, thin braids swung around in two high ponytails and she grinned up at her favorite person out of the whole town with a toothy beam.

"Hi Leilah." Jane chuckled, taking her niece in her lap and wrapping secure arms around her waist.

"What's Janie listening to?" Leilah looked up at her aunt with big, innocent eyes.

Jane bit her lip slightly and switched the channel. She didn't want to explain the situation to her for fear of that innocent, childish shine being lost in her eyes.

"Jane." A man with floppy brown hair and brown eyes matching her own appeared in the doorway of her home. She was certainly getting a lot of visitors today.

"Matheus." She greeted her brother with a small smile.

"Pai!" Leilah jumped off her lap and ran into her father's waiting arms.

"Hello sweetheart." He chuckled, brushing away some hair from his eyes. Jane could swear his brown locks reminded her of Ethan's same flippy hair.

"Were you looking for your little one here?" She stood and patted Leilah on the head lovingly.

"No, actually." Matheus replied in his heavily accented Brazilian tone. "This was delivered to me from some government visitors. It was given the utmost priority to get to you."

An elegant, ivory envelope with a note enclosed was handed to her. With curiosity she opened it and read the contents inside.

Speak of the devil…

-_l_-

The falling London evening kept Benji quick on his feet. A crisp, cool winter wind nipped at his cheeks but he ignored it. His folks as well as the other refugees they took in were waiting for him to arrive back to homebase before closing up shop for the night. He was, after all, the one they counted on for any and all supplies. Basically the provision soldier for their ragtag house of Brits and more.

He hurried into his rundown home and stepped quickly down to the basement. It was a ghost town, or so it seemed. Benji reached behind the cadaverous furnace with a disgusted face. He abhorred touching the atrocious piece of metal since it was coated with layers and layers of radioactive ash. The only thing that kept him safe right now was the vaccination that people managed to get in the midst of the nuclear war.

The one that he and his friends failed to stop five months ago.

Guilt churned uncomfortably in his stomach as he found what he was looking for. He pressed the button, disguised as one of the bolts holding the aged contraption together. The furnace moved aside and revealed the entrance to the bunker his father had built so many years ago in his childhood. Back then Benji found his old man insane for doing such a thing, now he couldn't be more thankful.

Shutting the bunker door behind him, Benji turned to find his father, Old Colonel Dunn, waiting for him down the corridor.

"Dad. I'm bloody sorry I'm late, really. I just had issues getting the last item we needed on the li—"

"I'm not scolding you, Benjamin." The aged parent shook his head simply. He reached into his shredded coat pocket and handed his son a piece of stained parchment. "Picked this up on our radios. Managed to find a man clever enough to decode the Morse code used as well as the German it was sent in."

"German? Who the Hell would be contacting me in Germany?" Benji muttered, puzzled as he fumbled to open the folded paper with his dirtied fingers.

Bright blue eyes analyzed the message, then blinked in shock. A well of hope began to bring up some new emotion from its depths. This was the time for redemption. This was the time to change everything.

He knew exactly what he had to do.

-_l_-

The sun still blazed high in the sky on Australia. A family of renegade soldiers rode through The Outback in successful silence. They had just retaken a city on the western coast and were celebrating by passing around a canteen of bourbon to one another, patting each other on the back with filthy, boyish grins.

Brandt tugged at his uniform a bit, feeling nostalgia sneak its way into his heart when he thought of himself and the IMF team from months back.

"Oi, Will." One of his buddies nudged him in the side lightly. "You all right, mate?"

"Hm? Yeah yeah, just fine…"

"You thinkin' of those American buds you told me about?"

"One of them's a Brit, Carver. But yeah, that's who I was thinking of. I used to have moments like this with them."

Carver gifted him with a very Benji-like grin. "You'll get 'em back sooner or later. I'm sure they're surviving."

"Well, with any luck—"

"Brandt!" The voice of their commander called from the front of the humvee.

"Yes sir?" Brandt moved his attention to the man in the passenger's seat.

"Got a message here for you that our radioman received. It's for you." The commander gestured to the said man, who handed Brandt his message.

He took it and read it carefully, re-reading it a few times before he let its words finally hit him. There was a set of coordinates and a time recorded, with the message: "Saturn, Venus, Pluto; it's time to reconvene."

Only one person knew those code names, since he was the one who came up with them. It was Ethan. After months, he was finally calling them back to action. This was it. This was their chance.

And as cheesy as it sounded, it was time for Operation: Save the World.

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><p><em>Please review! The picture is on .com. Please search for it as best as you can, it's really worth it. ;)<em>

_Much love to you all, xoxo_


	2. Chapter 2

_Can anyone say "Finally!"? Sorry it's been so long! I just had a dreadful block of creativity and this chapter is also a bit short. I apologize for any rushed appearance in this chapter! Hope you enjoy!_

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><p>"Your coordinates pinpoint to a location in America. By the looks of it, the Embassy Suites Hotel in Alexandria-Old Town, Virginia." Carver explained to Brandt, running a hand through his curly blond locks.<p>

"Back to the USA for me then." Brandt was already packing, snatching from his locker and tossing items into his bag haphazardly.

"Guess so." Carver printed a map out for the analyst and turned to him, his sharp green eyes watching his friend with an unwavering gaze.

Brandt, zipping up his duffel bag, paused when he caught his friend's eye and stood up straighter. "What is it?"

"Just… be careful out there, mate. Going back and all, going into the lion's den. It'll be dangerous. And from what I've heard, Hendricks wants your heads on a silver platter."

"Tell me something I don't know." He sighed, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "I'll be okay, Carver. Swear on my life." Brandt flashed him a slight smile.

"Don't push it. Or you'll be regretting those words next."

Without another word or promise, Brandt grabbed the other man and embraced him tightly.

-_l_-

Jane had all of her bags packed on the small airplane the following early morning. Leilah and her father were there at the airstrip, ready to bid the woman farewell and the best of luck.

She turned to the family she had gotten so close to in the last few months. Her heart felt the plucking of emotion just looking at them. Everything she was about to do, that she would (hopefully) accomplish, was for these two here. The rest of the world, too. But mostly her niece and brother.

"Janie? Will you be back soon?" Leilah asked, a twinge of sadness tinting her eyes.

With a slight sigh, she smiled softly and bent to her level. "As soon as possible, Leilah. And things will be so much better when I do."

She childishly nodded in reply. "Okay Janie…"

The woman kissed her gently on the forehead and then stood to embrace her brother.

"Good luck Jane. Kick some ass for me." Matheus told her quietly.

"I will. You take care of things down here, Matheus."

"I shall."

In mere moments, she was flying out of Brazil to Virginia in a small, private plane. The sun began to burst over the horizon with splashes of brilliant orange, accented by strengthening wisps of gold. A new day was dawning. And Jane had never felt more ready to take advantage of this day.

-_l_-

It was about noon when Ethan woke up from his small bout of sleep. The ship he was on rocked gently with the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. At the rate the cargo ship was going and the string of good weather patterns, he estimated he'd get to Virginia a day ahead of the scheduled meeting date. And to Ethan, this was perfect. This way he could ensure everything was ready and that things would go without any troubles, hopefully.

He rubbed at his unshaven chin. It was about time for the refugee to shed his disguise and become the one and only Ethan Hunt again. Time to clean up his appearance.

-_l_-

Benji ran quickly with his bags to the newly re-opened railway. That was now the fastest way to reach the airline, where he had his good friend Richard waiting for him with his own private plane to take off to America. Well, Virginia. Same difference.

He just made it through the grimy chrome doors before they slid shut. The train shifted and began to push itself along the track with a weak chugging. Benji gave a sigh of relief and looked around the practically empty car of the train. There was only three other gentlemen in there with him; a shabby looking man with a stubbled face and dark rimmed eyes, a man with a messy suit and greasy hair, and a teen boy with a dyed green stripe in his scraggly black hair.

The tech settled into a seat on the other side of the car from them, feeling rather comfortable with this quiet mode of transportation. He had only shut his eyes to rest for just a moment when—

_Smack!_

Something metal came in contact with his head and forced him to open his eyes. The teen and greasy-haired males stood over Benji's cornered form with a crowbar and iron pipe in hand. Their malicious grins made a wave of nausea hit his stomach.

"Well boys, why don't we show Mr. Dunn here what happens when you try to leave the country without the authorization of our chancellor, hm?" The stubble man said with a rough cockney accent.

Oh great. Now he was screwed.

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><p><em>Cliffhangerrrrr! Ha ha, please review!<em>

_Love to you all, xoxo_


	3. Chapter 3

_I can't believe it's been so long since I posted... My goodness! My apologies. Hopefully a little Benji whump shall make up for that! Enjoy this recent chapter of Redemption! ;)_

_Note: Rick Alistair is an original character based off of Nick Frost, since he and Simon are such good buds in reality. ;)_

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><p>Richard "Rick" Alistair awaited Benji with an anxious heart. He was fidgety as he paced along the airstrip next to his plane, glancing at his watch now and again. Half an hour had passed since his friend's set arrival time. Benji specifically said that if he was not there within an hour of the time he set, Rick was to disregard anything he had said before and cancel the flight. He was really hoping he wouldn't have to. He knew the implications of that.<p>

Another 7 minutes ticked by, then 10, then 14. Still no sign of Benjamin Dunn. Rick sighed worriedly and continued to pace, tugging at his shirt collar.

Finally, at the 50 minute checkpoint, Rick could make out a familiar figure in the distance. He grinned a little before it fell in shock. Benji was sporting quite a bit of blood on his crisp white shirt and a rather impressive bruise was beginning to form on the side of his head. The blood drew near his eyes from the few cuts he had on his eyebrow. It dribbled down his cheeks, spotted with other cuts, and down his neck. The tech looked as if he had just run through a jungle of nails or worse.

"What the bloody hell happened to you? Literally!" Richard gestured to Benji's battered body.

"Narrowly escaped some of those Watchmen of Hendricks. Long story." Benji explained, breathless.

"You'll have to tell me on the flight over. Looks like a hell of a good one."

"If a good one involves me landing on my arse out a train, then yeah. Sure."

-_l_-

The air was crisp and sharp in Virginia; a signal of the oncoming winter approaching. Ethan, in his new clean suit, seemed slightly out of place as he roamed the streets of Alexandria, headed towards Old Town Virginia.

Since the nuclear war had been started, there were still warnings and areas blocked off for sterilization of radioactivity. There was still a layer of grime and dust coating everything, but scavengers would occasionally emerge from their shelters and brush it away. They'd leave barely a trace of their existence, for fear of the Watchmen discovering their whereabouts and bringing them to Hendricks for a sizable reward of some sort. He was collecting those who would rebel against him, those who wouldn't pay his new taxes, those who used to be members of federal agencies (especially the IMF), and anyone he wanted in his clutches.

He wanted this over. Ethan knew that he and his former team were the only ones left free, except for maybe one or two other operatives. Which reminded him that he needed to contact—

"Well, well boys! Look what we've got here! Some high and mighty guy in a suit!" A sooty man in rags grinned cockily at Ethan, hands in his pockets.

Four other men joined him, circling Hunt like vultures, low chuckles passing through the air to each other. The first man sniffed and wiped his nose with his grimy glove, still smiling. "I think the Chancellor is gonna like seeing a fancy pants like you very much!" he snickered.

He pulled out a gun speedily and fired a shot right past Ethan's ear. Ethan dodged, feeling the bullet graze the cheek area right by his ear. The scent of blood blossomed in his nostrils. He pulled the gun from his waistband, firing back into the man's legs.

The lead man cried out and barked an order to the other four, who all took the chance to jump at Ethan. It didn't take long for Ethan to disarm and disengage his opponents. He sent them and their gang leader running back into the woods. But not before catching the eye of one of the group's dirty-faced, skinny members. With a brief nod, the person sped back into the cover of trees and vanished.

'Everything's in place.' Ethan thought to himself, going on his way to the hotel and dabbing lightly at the bleeding wound near his ear with his suit sleeve.

-_l_-

"So what happened to you, Benj?" Rick asked, sitting beside the blond man as the plane was put on autopilot.

"I was on the train to get here…" Benji recalled, fixing up the injury on his head with pale white gauze and a bandage.

"_Why don't we show Mr. Dunn here what happens when you try to leave the country without the authorization of The Chancellor?" The stubble man's rough cockney accent shone through his voice as he and his lackeys smirked at Benji's confined position in the train seat._

_Out of the corner of the tech's eye, he saw a bridge coming up. It was a crazy idea, but at the rate things were starting to escalate in the room, he didn't really have a choice._

_He kicked upward into the stubble man's jaw, hearing a tough crack from the dislocation as he stumbled backwards. The greasy-haired male took a whack at him with his already blood-stained pipe, but missed when Benji ducked and smacked the teen head on in his forehead. The teen fell back into the stubble man, who shoved him off in time to see their target's next action._

_Benji jumped onto the ledge of the window and kicked it open, cutting up his pants and leg with shards of glass. He took a deep breath and leapt out of the train as it passed over the bridge, plunging into the frigid waters below._

_The bridge wasn't all that tall, so he hit the water quickly, but it stung at his skin when he did. And now his injuries all throbbed with the freezing water's contact. Staying under the surface, he swam to the bank nearby, enshrouded by shrubs. He peered out carefully to see his three attackers up above on the bridge, having also jumped out of the train. They looked around for him in the water, but couldn't see him anywhere. Their little gang leader barked something at them and they ran off, vanishing to lord knows where._

_After that, Benji took off like a bullet through the woods, remembering when his father took him here as a child and ordered him to find his way "back to civilization" with a blindfold on. After about 3 hours of searching tirelessly, little Benji had found the airport, having followed the sound of jets and aircraft taking off on the airstrip._

_He could find it again. He knew he could. He just had to look. Deeply embedded in the trees and bushes, Benji stopped and closed his eyes. Listening to his surroundings, the sound of trickling water from a creek, the whistling of the wind brushing along his wet skin and wounds, the rustling of leaves were loud and distracting. Something else captured his attention though: the roaring of jet engines._

_He took off sprinting, already panting from exhaustion, but when he emerged from the greenery, Benji managed to sport his signature grin. There was the airport, clear as day and awaiting him on the airstrip was his good friend, Richard._

'_I'm coming Rick! Just wait for me!' Benji thought, running to the plane and catching the attention of Richard Alistair._

"Quite an exciting story if I do say so myself." Rick shook his head, whistling impressively. "Just rest up, mate. I'll have you in Virginia in no time." He patted Benji's back carefully.

"Thanks Rick." Benji gave a great big lion's yawn before lying down across the private plane seat and going out like a light.

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><p><em>Please review! Much love, xoxo<em>


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